Giulia Steigerwalt Movies
- 2009
As the title suggests, this film finds Italian helmer (Volfango de Biasi) giving Shakespeare's classic tragedy Othello a slightly unique spin, with a heightened emphasis on Iago; it also reverses the roles by turning Othello into the manipulative monster and Iago into the wronged party. The action unfurls in the early 21st century at the University of Venice, where student Iago (Nicolas Vaporidis) has risen above his financially limited origins and shows enormous promise in his chosen field of architecture. Othello (Aurelien Gaya), an aristocratic architect's son, stabs Iago in the back by manipulatively damaging his academic stature and usurping his place as the designer of a project on the Biennale. Othello also steals Iago's love, chancellor's daughter Desdemona (Laura Chiatti), with whom he himself has been smitten for ages. Iago responds by creating a series of elaborate deceptions, designed to pay Othello back for his thoughtless Machiavellian acts. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Vaporidis, Aurelien Gaya, (more)
- 2008
A young man impulsively chasing a romance falls into an unconventional relationship with two strangers in this independent drama. Johnny (Joe Iacovino) is a twenty-something guy from Philadelphia who has been bumming though Europe, and after falling in love with a woman he met in France, he follows her to Italy, only to find himself stranded in Rome. Needing somewhere to stay, the woman's next-door neighbor, a fellow American expatriate named Jesse (Jason Goodman), allows Johnny to spend a few days sleeping on his couch. Aspiring filmmaker Jesse shares his apartment with his lover Angela (Giulia Steigerwalt), a local girl who dreams of a career as a concert pianist. Jesse becomes fast friends with Johnny and persuades him to star in his latest no-budget production about the life of Napoleon, while Angela finds herself less attracted to Jesse and more fascinated with their new boarder. The Eternal City was the first feature film from the directorial team of Arianna De Giorgi and Jason Goodman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Iacovino, Giulia Steigerwalt, (more)
A woman starts her life over with a new home in a new land in this romantic comedy drama . Frances (Diane Lane) is a writer in her mid-'30s who feels emotionally derailed after her divorce. Unhappy and unable to write, she isn't sure what to do with her life, and her best friend Patti (Sandra Oh) decides she needs some time away from her problems. With that in mind, Patti gives Frances a ticket for a two-week tour of the Tuscany region of Italy; while there, Frances finds a dilapidated old villa. Charmed by the warmth, beauty, and charm of the small town of Cortona, Frances impulsively decides to buy the villa, thinking she can fix it up herself. The home proves to be more of a handyman's special than she imagined, but as she slowly gets the hang of household maintenance, Italian style, Frances develops a new confidence as she makes friends with her neighbors and finds love with a handsome local named Marcello (Raoul Bova). Under the Tuscan Sun is loosely adapted from the memoir by Frances Mayes, who (unlike the leading character of the film) remained happily married during her sojourn in Tuscany. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, (more)
- 2002
Directed by Marcello Cesena, Mari del Sud (Our Tropical Island) follows a dysfunctional family whose idea of concealing their bankruptcy from friends and family is hiding in the basement of their palatial home while they're presumed to be vacationing. The basement is a disgusting place to live; rat-infested and stocked only with pickled vegetables, trips to the supermarket and attempts to counter their meddling neighbors become full-scale commando operations. As the situation snowballs, the family is unwittingly pushed into a catharsis which will bring them together in a way they hadn't thought possible. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diego Abatantuono, Giulia Steigerwalt, (more)
Youthful idealism meets teenage lust in this teen comedy from Italy. A large group of teenage activists are occupying their high school as part of a protest against privatized education and efforts for greater standardization among students. But one of them, Silvio (Silvio Muccino), is more than a bit preoccupied by Valentina (Giulia Carmignani), a pretty girl in his class who unfortunately already has a boyfriend, Martino (Simone Pagani). One day, Silvio is hanging out with Valentina and Martino, and Martino steps away long enough for Silvio to kiss Valentina. Silvio then makes the mistake of telling his best friend Ponzi (Giuseppe Sanfelice di Monteforte) about it; soon the entire school knows, including a very angry Martino and an equally enraged Claudia (Giulia Steigerwalt), who has a crush on Silvio. As things get more complicated for him at school, Silvio is finding no respite at home; his parents (Anna Galiena and Luca De Flippo) want to know why they don't talk anymore, his brother (Enrico Silvestrin) needs romantic advice, and his sister (Giulia Ciccone) has a secret. To get a better feel for contemporary teenage life, writer/director Gabriele Muccino collaborated on the screenplay with two 16-year-olds, Silvio Muccino and Adele Tulli, both of whom have roles in the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silvio Muccino, Guiseppe Sanfelice DiMonteforte, (more)
